From Ankara, Trump ramps up Ukraine support after months focused on Middle East

Herz — Business Desk · 17 July 2026 at 04:24 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What we know

In Ankara, Donald Trump showered Ukraine with praise, signaling a reinforcement of support for the war-torn country, according to Neue Zürcher Zeitung. This marks a notable reversal: Washington had previously refocused its attention on the Middle East following the failure of all its mediation attempts.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has entered its fifth year. Russian drone and missile strikes are now reaching the center of Kyiv, according to our reporting.

Thousands of civilians seek shelter each night in the Ukrainian capital's metro system to escape the bombardment.

Diplomatic tensions with Poland

Kyiv named a military unit the "Heroes of the UPA." This naming choice triggered a diplomatic crisis with Poland, until now one of Ukraine's most reliable allies.

Geopolitical perspective

The NZZ analyzes the confrontation between the United States and China for a new world order. Simultaneous wars in Iran and Ukraine are presented as its emblematic illustration.

Prospects

In some Kyiv circles, a negotiation window is cautiously being discussed for autumn 2026. No details are available about the conditions or the parties involved.

What remains uncertain

The precise agenda of the Ankara meeting and the concrete commitments Trump made have not been detailed in available sources. The exact meaning of the UPA acronym, which names the Ukrainian military unit at the center of the Poland-Ukraine crisis, could not be verified by an independent sourced definition. The specific reasons for the failure of American mediation attempts are not explained.